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91_HR0845
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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of their
4 former member, Attorney Michael Wayne Smith; and
5 WHEREAS, A pioneering national, State, and Chicago/Hyde
6 Park community activist and attorney, Michael Wayne Smith
7 made his spiritual transition on Thursday, June 1, 2000; and
8 WHEREAS, Michael Wayne Smith was born on September 5,
9 1945 at Cook County Hospital; he grew up in Bronzeville at
10 109 East 35th Street and 5127 South Greenwood Avenue in Hyde
11 Park; he attended both Raymond and Kozminski Elementary
12 Schools; Michael was President of the Kozminski Graduation
13 Class of 1959; and
14 WHEREAS, Michael Wayne Smith attended and graduated from
15 Hyde Park High School in 1963; he earned All-City recognition
16 honors in basketball and football; in sports circles, Michael
17 was known as the "Magic Man"; he was the all-time leading
18 scorer at the Murray schoolyard basketball court in Hyde
19 Park; Michael graduated from Northern Illinois University in
20 1967, where he majored in history and was a member of the
21 Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity; in 1970, Michael completed his
22 legal studies and earned his Doctor of Juris Prudence degree
23 from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.; he
24 received the national "Reginald Herber Smith Law Fellowship"
25 post-graduate award to provide legal services to underserved
26 urban communities; in that capacity, he worked at the
27 Woodlawn Legal Aid Clinic in collaboration with The Woodlawn
28 Organization, under the leadership of E. Duke McNeil, on
29 housing discrimination issues; and
30 WHEREAS, Attorney Michael Wayne Smith created a legacy as
31 an educator, community activist, political strategist, and
32 skilled trial attorney; as an educator, Attorney Smith taught
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1 urban institutions, Afro-American studies, and community
2 development at Elmhurst College; additionally, Attorney Smith
3 served as a mentor and counselor to African-American youth,
4 encouraging them to seize the emerging opportunities
5 available in education and law; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1976, Attorney Smith co-founded the United
7 Black Voters of Illinois (UBVI) with Henry L. English,
8 community organizer Harold L. Lucas, Dr. Paul Carryon, noted
9 educator Tim Black, Bruce Crosby, William Crosby, and
10 Reverend Charles Koen; UBVI grassroots political activity
11 resulted in the election of two congressmen, two State
12 senators, six State representatives, and numerous elected and
13 appointed political representatives; and
14 WHEREAS, In 1983, Attorney Smith worked with Professor
15 Robert Starks, State Representative Lou Jones, Dr. Conrad
16 Worrill, Zakkiyah Muhammed, Reverend Al Sampson, Reverend
17 John Porter, and significant others to create the Task Force
18 for Black Political Empowerment, a "movement" of diverse
19 community interests that resulted in the election of the late
20 Harold Washington as Chicago's first African-American Mayor;
21 from 1989 to 1992, Attorney Smith provided political
22 consultation to the Illinois Democratic Party statewide
23 coordinated campaigns; and
24 WHEREAS, In 1992, Attorney Smith was appointed to serve
25 in the Illinois General Assembly, filling the vacancy of
26 State Representative Paul Williams; additionally, Michael
27 served as a political consultant for notable elected
28 officials, including, but not limited to: the late Mayor
29 Harold Washington, former U.S. Representatives Carol
30 Moseley-Braun, former Alderman and The Honorable Timothy C.
31 Evans, State Representative Louvana (Lou) Jones, Congressman
32 Bobby L. Rush, Congressman Danny K. Davis, State Senator
33 Donne Trotter, State Senator Miguel DeValle, Alderman Dorothy
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1 Tillman, State Representative Connie Howard, former State
2 Representative Monica Faith Stewart, Cook County Commissioner
3 Jerry Butler, Tim Black's and Hattie Williams' campaigns for
4 4th ward alderman, Clem Balanoff's campaigns for 10th ward
5 alderman and State representative, the late Congressman Ralph
6 Metcalf, Sr., Ralph Metcalf, Jr.'s campaign for 3rd ward
7 alderman, and numerous local and community campaigns;
8 recently, Attorney Smith provided consultation on Dorothy
9 Brown's victorious primary campaign for the Democratic
10 nomination for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County,
11 where he served as the 4th and 5th ward coordinator; and
12 WHEREAS, As a legal advocate, Attorney Smith fought
13 vehemently for the rights of all citizens and was especially
14 skilled in the area of criminal defense; he was fondly known
15 among colleagues and clients as "the Lawyer" and "the
16 people's champion"; additionally, he was a well respected
17 election law practitioner; recently, Attorney Smith
18 successfully argued an election law case before the Illinois
19 Supreme Court concerning a candidate's right to remain on the
20 ballot; Attorney Smith was a member of the National Bar
21 Association, American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar
22 Association, Cook County Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar
23 Association; and
24 WHEREAS, Michael Wayne Smith was dedicated to community
25 concerns; he often donated his time (Pro Bono) to provide
26 legal services for the benefit of the community; his
27 community endeavors included, but were not limited to, the
28 following: attorney for the Coalition to Save the South Shore
29 Country Club Park, co-founder of the West Hyde Park Community
30 Organization, board member of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community
31 Conference, co-founder of P.R.O.U.D. (Prisoner's
32 Rehabilitation Organization for United Defense), recipient of
33 the Fred Hampton Humanitarian Award, attorney for Youth,
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1 Vision, and Integrity Inc., East Drexel Square block club
2 member, chairman of Jazz Comes Home series, graduate of SCLC
3 Operation Breadbasket political education workshop,
4 participant in the YVI Schoolyard Outstanding Chicagoan
5 award, and he provided counsel on many other initiatives;
6 additionally, Attorney Smith significantly contributed to the
7 improvement of the quality of life for public housing
8 residents in Cabrini-Green providing legal assistance to the
9 late Marion Stamps and the Trinity Marksman organization; and
10 WHEREAS, Attorney Michael Wayne Smith was the oldest of
11 four sons to Mrs. Mary Toran Smith and the late Mr. James
12 H.L. Smith Jr.; Michael was the grandson of the late Dr.
13 James H.L. Smith, the former pastor of Ebenezer Missionary
14 Baptist Church and the Founder/Chairman of the Illinois State
15 Missionary Baptist Convention; he is survived by his beloved
16 mother, Mary Toran Smith; his wife of twenty-seven years,
17 Michelle Smith; four daughters Attorney Caroline J. Smith,
18 Ayanna Smith, Aisha Smith, and Aliya Smith; son Derrick
19 Whitehead; sister Sylvia Washington; four brothers Jimmy
20 Smith of Las Vegas, Nevada, Leonard Smith, Attorney Sidney B.
21 Smith, Frederick Smith; and a host of nieces, nephews,
22 cousins, in-laws, and extended family; and
23 WHEREAS, Michael Wayne Smith was a member of Christian
24 Hope Missionary Baptist Church; therefore, be it
25 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
26 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
27 we mourn, along with all that knew and loved him, the death
28 of former State Representative Michael Wayne Smith; and be it
29 further
30 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
31 presented to the family of Michael Wayne Smith.